A Hop In A Harvard II
Canadian Aviator’s Russ Niles got a ride in a Harvard II in Moose Jaw a few years ago.
KC-390 In the Running?
Embraer may offer its KC-390 tactical transport for consideration as Canada’s next fixed wing search and rescue aircraft.
Rare Film of Lancaster
The natural environment of a Lancaster is captured in this rare colour film of Lancasters during the Second World War.
B-25 In Action
The Alberta Aviation Museum has a really nice one on display but the B-25 is a treat to see in flight.
SAM Aircraft For Sale
For $100,000 you could own an airplane company. Here’s the finished
product in action.
CSeries Flight Deck Tour
Bombardier’s ambitious airliner program is back in the news and this Swiss Air video shows the level of sophistication of the flight deck.
Canadian Hoverboard
Alexandru Duru showed the CBC his hoverboard design and got seven minutes of airtime.
Golden Hawks Started Something
Although they weren’t Canada’s first air demonstration team, the wild popularity of the Golden Hawks paved the way for a lasting legacy of excellence. The National Film Board captured some of the essence of the team in the early 1960s.
Fraser Blues Formation Flight
Fraser Blues founder George Miller celebrated his 80th birthday Oct. 6. This 2010 video shows the team in action in Penticton, B.C.
Flying the C-46
Nice video on what it’s like to muscle these old warbirds around.
Cold Warrior
Ex-RCAF CF-104 pilot Ken Castle discusses the job in this video by the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.
WestJet’s New 767
WestJet has its new intercontinental aircraft and it showed off its new plane with a promo video. Note how First Class-like the Plus section is.
Conair’s New Jet Air Tanker
Conair Aerial Tankers is converting Avro RJ85 regional jets into air tankers and Canadian Aviator editor Russ Niles, who is also Editor-in-Chief of online aviation news service AVweb prepared this report.
2500 and Counting
Match Productions produced this nifty video marking the Snowbirds’
2500th show in Drummondville on Aug. 29.
Drone Racing
First-person-view (FPV) drone racing is gaining popularity all over the world and events are being held in Canada. The video shows an impromptu event in Vancouver.
Air Tanker Belly Cam
Conair’s new RJ85 jet air tankers are getting a workout in B.C. this year and had a warm-up so to speak last winter in Australia. The belly cam shows the precision of the drop from the tanker. Look for a full feature on the new aircraft in the current issue of Canadian Aviator.
Star of the Show
The F-22 stole the show at Abbotsford last weekend and this nice video by GBLynden of the twilight performance shows why.
Breitling Team’s Canadian Debut
The Breitling Jet Team will be at the Abbotsford Air Show this weekend. This video from the company gives an idea of what patrons can expect.
Air Tractor Fire Boss In Action
It’s been a busy year for forest fires out West and one of the newest tools against the destruction is the AT802 Fireboss. Nice video of it in action against a fire near Nelson, B.C.
Flight To Siberia
Pilots from Canada, the U.S. and Russia are tracing the route that sent U.S. aircraft to Russia during the Second World War. Here’s a video the group organizing the trip put together to promote it.
Microgravity For Lea
Lea Langumier’s giggly response to aerobatics performed by her father Raphael in a video that went viral a few weeks ago are followed up by a tooth brush floating through space (and a control check by four-year-old Lea)
In Search of a Flying Job
Young pilots go to the ends of the earth for work and most make it back.
Golden Hawks Video
The Snowbirds couldn’t fly on Canada Day so how about a flash from the past. Here’s the official film of the Golden Hawks, which flew F-86 Sabres, like the one Chris Hadfield flies.
World’s Oldest Pilot
George Neal has been one of the world’s most active test pilots and now he’s the world’s oldest pilot. Here are his thoughts on a long fruitful career.
Lea’s First Aerobatic Flight
Lachute, Quebec test pilot Raphael Langumier took his four-year-old daughter Lea up for some loops and rolls and her reaction is priceless.
A Typical Twin Otter Day
The 50th anniversary of the Twin Otter will be celebrated with a northern tour. This video shows a typical Twin Otter mission there.
Hall of Fame Flight
AeroVelo will be inducted into the Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame for this flight that earned the company the Sikorsky Prize a couple of years ago.
Twin Otter Ops
Twin Otters fly in all kinds of conditions and preparing pilots for them is paramount for safety. This Viking Air video shows why they need a full fidelity Level D simulator to train new pilots.
The Martin Mars
Coulson Air Tankers produced this documentary on the mighty aircraft that is now the subject of an international tussle over heritage value.
Peeping Drone Raises Privacy Concerns
A Vancouver man’s video of a face-to-camera encounter with a drone while he ate dinner on his high-rise apartment patio is raising privacy concerns.
Conner Galway was enjoying the summer evening on his 36th-floor balcony when he heard what sounded like a swarm of bees.
The drone, with green and red flashing lights, hovered a few feet from him with the camera pointed directly at him. It then moved to the windows and balconies of his neighbours, spending about 30 minutes moving from apartment to apartment. He called police and, apparently, the local media.
Some followup by the Vancouver press revealed that Galway was among 10 residents who had complained about peeping drones this year.
“Since May of this year , we’ve had a number of complaints [including Galway’s] where it appears that somebody is using this aircraft to fly around apartment buildings,” Vancouver Police Department spokesman Randy Fincham told the CBC. “At this point we don’t know if that craft is being used to videotape or view inside those apartments.”
Until now much of the focus on drone operations has been potential interference with manned aircraft.
Pilot Flies Under Bridge
Float plane pilot flies under bridge on the Ottawa River.
Student Pilot Slightly Injured in Saint Hubert Crash
A Cessna 150 Aerobat CFFIW was involved in an accident near Saint-Hubert Airport.
An Air Cadet student pilot on a solo flight was slightly hurt July 12 after her Cessna 150 went down in the back yard of a house in Saint-Hubert.
The mishap provoked a strong reaction from neighbours who said they had been worried about an accident happening for decades
WestJet Wins Marketing Award
WestJet has earned a top award Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for a marketing video that made the airline’s name synonymous with the Christmas spirit.
Every year the marketing department at WestJet creates tongue-in-cheek videos for April Fool’s Day and does something for Christmas, too. They’ve become relatively popular over the years but it’s probably safe to say that no one at the airline was prepared for the success of the Christmas Miracle video created last December.
To date, the video has attracted more than 35 million views and couldn’t be considered anything less than a resounding public relations success.
Rebuilt Mosquito takes flight
The rebuilt Mosquito at Victoria Airport on its first flight, 16/06/2014. This shows it waiting at the end of the runway and then taking off.
Drone Video Stirs Controversy
An unidentified person who goes by the YouTube name of Quadrotor Dragonfly is stirring some angry controversy after a clearly illegal and potentially dangerous drone flight resulted in a bird’s eye view of a 737 on final to Vancouver International Airport.
The camera-equipped drone appears to be shooting the video from at least 500 feet AGL and within about a kilometre from the centreline. Quadrotor Dragonfly routinely flies his drone at these sorts of altitudes in Vancouver and several cities in Asia according to his YouTube channel but it was the proximity to the airport that caught the attention of the Vancouver Sun (limited free views) and Transport Canada.
TC spokesman Rod Nelson told the Sun his department is “very concerned about the operations of this UAV and we have been working with the RCMP to determine the operator’s identity.”
The feds might be the least of Quadrotor Dragonfly’s problems if someone in the RC model community finds him first.
RC flyers are getting increasingly impatient with rogue UAV operators causing trouble like this and potentially threatening their hobby.
“This is a totally unacceptable use of such equipment, something we’re trying to prevent,” Steve Hughes, president of the Model Aircraft Association of Canada told the Sun. “It’s pilots like these who can give the hobby a black eye. YouTube is going to be the death of us.”
Transport Canada will issue special permits for drone flights but would never authorize this kind of use. Anyone with information on the identity of this UAV pilot is asked to call TC at 1-877-992-6853.
Flying Car Crash Cause
The only operational flying car in Canada crashed in May of 2013. Canadian Aviator Editor Russ Niles prepared this report from material available from the investigation of the cause.
CSeries Ready For Debut
Bombardier announced the airliner will debut at the Paris Air Show next month. Here’s the latest on the program from Bombardier.
Snowbirds TankCam
New for 2015, the Snowbirds have installed their TankCam on the lead aircraft and have produce some truly spectacular scenes. Watch them as they practice their 2015 show in the skies over the beautiful Comox Valley, British Columbia.
CL-215 Tour
Kelowna residents got a first hand view of the venerable Canadair CL-215 at an event hosted by the local COPA flight. This video tour of the aircraft was prepared for IcePilots NWT.
Super Dave’s Routine
You can see why it’s important for Super Dave Mathieson to practice. Transport Canada wants him to find someplace else besides his home airport of Chilliwack, B.C.
CSeries Update
Bombardier continues to test CSeries flight test vehicles as it pushes toward certification by the end of 2015.
Rotor Duet
For the boomer generation, there’s a sound that defines the way a helicopter should sound. Have a listen to some close relatives of the famous UH-1 Huey at Pitt Meadows.
Another Viral Hit for WestJet
At 800,000 views by the end of April Fools Day, WestJet’s traditional marketing effort has again made an impact. It’s pretty funny, too.
Taking Wing
The University of Waterloo aviation program is featured in our March-April edition and the university pointed out this nice video about the program.
First Flight
Women of Aviation Week activities are meant for moments like this. No description required.
A Canadian WASP
Lee Doer wasn’t allowed to fly for Canada during the Second World War but she found a place with the U.S.’s Women’s Airforce Service Pilots organization in which women ferried aircraft overseas.
CS300 First Landing
Bombardier flew the largest variant of its CSeries airliner for the first time last week and while everyone is geared for the takeoff, the landing is just as important. This looks like a beauty.
Twin Otter Ops
The RCAF’s tiny fleet of Twin Otters rarely gets a mention but 440 Squadron was in the news in Manitoba last week. Here’s an RCAF video on what they really do when they’re not being mistaken for UFOs.
Aeryon UAS in Historic Project
The potential uses for unmanned aerial systems seem unlimited and a Canadian company’s participation in a unique project at one of the world’s most famous landmarks, Christ the Redeemer, in Rio De Janeiro is a good example.
Zeniths Sweep STOL Competition
Three Zenith CH 701 homebuilts claimed the top three places of the annual Healthy Bastards STOL competition in New Zealand. Zenith has strong Canadian roots and has a plant in Midland, Ontario, along with one in Mexico, Missouri.
Lancaster Documentary Trailer
The Reunion of Giants documentary on the triumphant tour of the U.K. by the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s Lancaster and the RAF Battle of Britain aircraft has been released. Turn the sound up.
Billy Bishop Expansion
With the sale of the terminal building, Porter Airlines has the money to expand the airline. That might include expansion of Billy Bishop Airport and here’s how Toronto city planners expect that to go.
Airshow Vignette
It’s short but to the point and “Super” Dave Mathieson pulls no punches talking about his performance during an episode of Airshow. The program debuts on the Discovery Channel Monday Jan. 26 at 10 p.m. EST and PST.
Loving the Harvard
Roger Duck put together this nice video with Marco Rusconi of the Canadian Harvard Aerobatic Team last summer. It clearly shows why we love the Harvard.
NFB’s 1980 Take on Bush Flying
It’s been a tough few days weatherwise for most Canadians so take a few minutes to let the National Film Board of Canada demystify bush flying for you. It recently posted a copy of its 23-minute 1980 documentary Bush Pilot: Reflections on a Canadian Myth. While the theme might not agree with your view, there are gorgeous shots of a beautiful Norseman throughout.
Bigger, Better UASs For RCMP?
The Alberta RCMP is looking at buying a Puma UAS, which has different capabilities than the unmanned aircraft it currently flies. The manufacturer’s promotional video shows its features.
Mikey’s Swan Dive?
The final episode of Ice Pilots NWT was Wednesday and in case you missed here’s the trailer. Hint: Mikey should look as scared as he does.
Navigating the New UAS Rules
William Levasseur, a freelance videographer and journalist has prepared this detailed (12-minute) examination of what is and isn’t covered by the exemptions on unmanned aerial systems recently released by Transport Canada. Anyone planning to fly UASs commercially should have a look.
Caravan Pilot
If you’ve ever wondered what a typical Cessna Caravan bush pilot does for a living, Sacha Kaboha shows us switch by switch what’s involved.
Discovery Airshow Series Starts January
In 2013, Discovery Canada hit the air show circuit and got some spectacular footage for a new reality series. The trailer was released Wednesday.
Canada’s Beauty From Above
The folks at Pipistrel Canada know how to have a good time with their products and frequently upload videos of their adventures. This was a recent trip to B.C.
GoPro Footage of Emergency Landing
Ed Bullion, of Pitt Meadows, B.C. had a camera attached when things went wrong on a recent flight. Fortunately, it all works out.
CF-18 In-Flight Refueling
Tanking is a part of life for fighter pilots and doing it from a variety of tanker aircraft is necessary for operating with other countries. CF-18 pilots refueled from a U.S. Air Force KC-135 during the recent Vigilant Shield NORAD exercise.
Images of Red Bull
The race season is over and it was a pretty good one for Canadian Pete McLeod. Have a look at what makes it the world’s fastest motorsport.
F-18s In Action
As we pause to remember the tragic events in Ottawa it’s fitting to honour the hundreds of young men and women who will soon be risking their own lives to ensure that we remain a peaceful and safe country. Godspeed.
Langley Tiger Moth
The Canadian Museum of Flight’s Tiger Moth is shown in happier times. George Serviss pilots the Moth back to CYNJ after a memorial flight and low pass through YVR. Really nice landing.
The Langley, B.C. museum is a quarter of the way toward its $85,000 fundraising goal to rebuild the aircraft, which was damaged in a takeoff accident in August.
McLeod in Vegas
Pete McLeod’s official video from Red Bull shows the drive and determination he has to win the championship.
CF-18 In Action
Canadian fighters may be headed to the Middle East and this video by AirSource gives a glimpse of what a mission might look like.
Last Formation
The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s Lancaster left England for home Tuesday leaving only memories of a wildly successful tour of the U.K. Planes TV shot this video at the Eastbourne Air Show last month.
Back in the Air
As we reported last week, Bombardier’s CSeries is back in the air for flight testing after a three month break due to an engine failure. Bombardier released this video.
Practice Day
The RCAF Snowbirds took to the skies for a practice run before appearing in front of one of their biggest crowds of the year at the Canadian International Air Show in Toronto at the end of August.
Historic Formation
The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s Lancaster flew with the Battle of Britain Lancaster and their Avro stablemate, the Vulcan jet bomber in England in late August. Turn the sound up.
Air Canada 777 Landing
Ever wondered what goes on in the cockpit of a 777 on landing and taxiing back to the gate. This will answer those questions.
Yukon Bush Pilot
Yukon Bush Pilot Bernard Stehelin is a bush pilot based in Whitehorse and edited this
video from GoPro footage shot in 2012.
Romance in the Air Over Manitoba
Gil Gauthier had an idea to make his marriage proposal to his girlfriend Linda extra special. Pitts, a Citabria and aerobatics are involved.
Lancaster On The Way To England
The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s Lancaster is in Iceland (Aug. 6) after its second leg of a 3,700 mile journey to England. This video was shot a month ago at the museum.
CL-415 Stops Highway Fire
An example of the firefighting power of the CL-415 is evident in this video from August of 2013 of an aircraft dousing a fiery highway crash.
16-Ship Formation
Pilots from the NATO Flying Training Centre at 15 Wing Moose Jaw did some impressive formation flying with CT-156 Harvard II aircraft during a demo earlier this week. The 16-ship formation is the largest ever flown by the RCAF and it’s the second time it’s been done.
Baron ISR Platform
Textron has unveiled its Baron G58 Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform at Farnborough. The aircraft is modified at Discovery Air Technical Services in Toronto.
Float’s Eye View
One of the most popular float flying destinations in the world is Georgian Bay. This video by Scott McKinnon shows why.
Telus Grants A Flying Wish
Viral videos are the new benchmark for marketing success and Telus went to great heights to impress one of its long-time customers and its YouTube audience. Looks like fun.
Rebuilt Mosquito takes flight
A Mosquito bomber took flight for the first time in Victoria last week after years of restoration by Victoria Air Maintenance. It has since been delivered to owner Bob Jens’ hangar at Vancouver International Airport.
CF-18s In Action
While the future of the CF-18 is in the hands of politicians, the aircraft flies in the capable hands of RCAF pilots. Here’s a nice video of a refueling training exercise off a CC-150 Polaris tanker.
Sound of Freedom
The thunder of Merlin engines, augmented by Pratt & Whitney radials helped the world remember the triumph and sacrifice of D-Day. Ceremonies were held on the beaches of Normandy last weekend.
Sights and Sounds of Summer
The ice is off everywhere and the growl of round engines and the slap of water on floats is filling the air at lakes and rivers all over Canada. Have a look and listen.
The Art of RC
If you haven’t been to an RC model meet in recent years, the technology might surprise you. This video was shot at the Ogopogo Radio Controllers Club meet a few years ago and shows the amazing control and power of the modern systems. The club recently won the right to continue flying from land it leases in Lake Country, B.C.
Caravaning Around the North
There’s a lot of romance associated with the Canadian bush pilot’s life but there are a lot of challenges, too. A Canadian Cessna 208 Caravan pilot compiled this video over six months of flying up North.
Timelapse of Air Canada’s First 787
Air Canada gets its first Dreamliner on Saturday and Boeing has chronicled its construction through the magic of timelapse photography. The first 787 will be flown back to Toronto from the Everett, Washington factory with the CEO Calin Rovinescu and 50 company contest winners aboard.
CWH Lancaster From the Air
At last year’s Hamilton Air Show, the world’s only flying Mosquito bomber flew in formation with one of only two flying Lancasters and the lucky occupant of the right seat of the Mossie shot this video.
The Lancaster is making history again this year when it makes a transatlantic flight to join the only other flying example for a tour of England.
Fly-Out To Taseko Lake
The B.C. Floatplane Association flew to Taseko Lake for its annual fly- out in 2013. Walter Klatt went along in his Murphy Rebel on amphibs.
Float Flying At Jack Brown’s
There’s nothing quite like taking the doors off the Cub and enjoying a day in the air and on the water on a beautiful Florida day. Canadian Aviator’s Jim Cole took a flight in April after attending Sun ‘n Fun.
BARON ISR
Military and Law enforcement agencies across the globe will find the mission persistence of the Beechcraft Baron ISR to be efficient and effective.
Pete McLeod On Red Bull Engines
Red Bull Air Race Series changed the rules for this season and all pilots are required to run exactly the same Lycoming engine. The races are now the result of pilot skill and that’s worked to Canada’s Pete McLeod’s advantage. He tells Canadian Aviator what propels him.
Jim Takes a Test Flight in a ZENAIR 750 Cruzer
We were recently at Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland Florida. Jim Cole got a chance to test fly the Canadian made Zenair CH 750.
Kenn Borek’s Lidia Flies Home
One of the most impressive aircraft recovery efforts ever undertaken was completed successfully in January and a fascinating web video of it was posted by Don Wray, an Alaska outfitter who was on the support crew.
Lidia, a Basler BT-67 operated by Kenn Borek Air, of Calgary for Antarctic Logistics Centre International, was heavily damaged in a takeoff accident on the Holtanna Glacier in Antarctica on Dec. 20, 2012. The aircraft hit a hidden ice fissure and the gear collapsed and the props tore away.
After some head scratching, Kenn Borek decided the aircraft could be repaired and flown off the glacier. After more than 40 days of concentrated effort, Lidia pulled herself out of the hole in the glacier under her own power and then took off to resume her productive life.
This is the video story of the recovery.